Swimming pool lighting setup



Jan. 7, 1964 J. R. LOWTHER 3,1

SWIMMING POOL LIGHTING SETUP Filed June 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTO ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1964 J. R. LOWTHER SWIMMING POOL LIGHTINGSETUP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1959 ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,116,834 SWIMMING POOL LIGHTING SETUP John R. Lowther, 215Cattell Ave, Collingswood, NJ. Filed June 18, B59, Ser. No. 821,139 6Claims. (Cl. 240-26) The present invention relates to a lighting setupfor swimming pools.

A purpose of this invention is to provide an improved setup for lightingswimming pools.

A further purpose is to make the underwater lighting of such poolssafer.

A further purpose of this invention is to provide a setup givingunderwater lighting for such pools which will be at once thoroughlysafe, highly effective, easy to install, long lasting, and relativelyinexpensive.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings by an embodiment chosen fromthe standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation,and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, taken along the line l-1of FIGURE 4, of this embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective, broken away, of this embodiment, leaving outthe showing of the swimming pool wall and swimming pool.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end view of what is shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a somewhat fragmentary plan view of what is shown in FIGURE2, except that the top cover is omitted, and FIGURE 4 also,diagrammatically and on a reduced scale, shows a connection to a currentsource.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing structurenear the angle of the inverted L in the same embodiment as shown in allthe other figures.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section along the line 66 on FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a cross section along the line 77 on FIGURE 1, showing onlya particular part of the light tube, and its support.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to thedrawings:

Wall It) of swimming pool 11 'has recess 12, in the shape of an invertedL, with its vertical leg '13 located in the face of the wall toward thepool, and its horizontal leg -14 located in the top of the wall andextending back away from the pool.

Fitting in this recess are frame 18, top cover 19, and associatedcomponents. Their position is such that the end of the frame nearest thepool is more or less flush with the rest of the wall face and the topcover is more or less flush with the top of the wall.

Frame 18, like the recess in which it fits, is in the shape of aninverted L, with vertical leg 29 and horizontal leg 21. Morespecifically, frame 18 is in the general form of an inverted L-shapedbox structure, with lmgely open faces along the sides away from theinterior angle of the L. Thus the legs are more or less channel-shapedin cross section, with the open faces of the two channels toward thepool and toward the top, respectively. In other words, vertical leg 29has side walls 23, back wall 24, bottom end wfil 225 and open front face26, while horizontal leg 2-1 has bottom wall 28, side walls 29, back endwall 30, and open top face 32.

Transformer 34 is supported within the frame in a position well abovethe bottom of horizontal leg 21 and toward the rear of that leg, bymeans of brackets 35 welded to the frame in positions stretching acrossbetween the opposite side Walls of its horizontal leg and preferably3,116,884 Patented Jan. 7, 1954 nearly half way up in that leg, thetransformer being removably secured to the brackets in any suitablemanner, as by bolting it down.

Vertical partition or separator 37, located a short distance (as forexample 3 inches to the rear of angle 38 where the horizontal andvertical legs meet, is welded around its edges at 39 to bottom wall 28and side walls 29 of the horizontal leg to form a watertight joint, andis a continuous sheet except for holes to accommodate housings orsockets 4-1 and 42, of the type conventional for cold cathode lighttubes, held in parallel positions directed toward the pool at about thesame level as the transformer, with which they are electricallyconnected, as by wires 43. The housings or sockets may for example beheld on by retaining rings 43, fastening them tightly to the partition.The holes are gasketed at 44 and 45 to complete the waterproofing at thepartition.

Cold cathode light tube 46 is held in position by supports 47 and 43,which hold vertical portions 49 and 5t), respectively. The tube is heldin a position with its terminal end portions 51 and 52 extending forelectrical connection into housings or sockets ll and d2 respectively.Horizontal end portion 51 of the tube runs from the socket All in adirection toward the swimming pool. Then the tube turns verticallydownward as vertical portion 49, extending down within the frame most ofthe length of vertical leg 2%) of the frame. At a point not far from thebottom the tube turns across horizontally parallel to the swimming pooledge as bottom portion 53 and goes over into the other side of the framefrom the side in which socket d1, horizontal end portion 51 and verticalport-ion 49 are located. It then turns-upward as vertical portion 5%,and when it reaches the same level as horizontal end portion 51 is on,it turns back away from the swimming pool into socket 42 as horizontalend portion 52. Supports 47 and 48 can take any suitable form, asillustrated more in detail by support 47. This includes holder 54 (ofmetal) secured to the back wall 24 of the frame, which holder holds thethreaded supporting leg 54' of glass yoke unit 55. The yoke unit in turnholds vertical portion 49 of the tube by means of metal wire 56. Thiswine is looped around the two arms 56 of the yoke, which arms have anenlarging taper toward their ends to assist in holding the loops on, andpasses (around the light tube in between loops and the ends are broughtaround the light tube and tied by twisting the ends together.

Between partition 37 and angle 38, a second vertical partitionSS islocated far enough away from the first vertical partition so that thewelded part of the second does not prevent insertion of the housings orsockets into the poles in the first. This second partition has a lowerpart 66 welded at or around its bottom and sides to bottom 28 and sides29 of horizontal leg 21 to form a watertight seal, and thus forming anintegral part of the structure of frame 13. 'It also has an upper part64 extending on up to the top of the frame and held in by some suitabletemporary means such as screws. Parts 51 and 52 of cold cathode lighttube 46 pass in between these par-ts througlrsuitable holes, the holesbeing gasketed at 66, as are the joint lines between upper part as andlower part 66 (at 68) and also between upper part 64 and side walls 29of the horizontal leg (at 72).

Thus the second partition 58 likewise forms a watertight barrier, whichalso: assists in the support of cold cathode light tube 50.

Transformer 34 is connected to a suitable source of current '75, showndiagrammatically in FIGURE 4; the connection may be by means of wiring 7which will usually be underground in the vicinity of the pool, and mayfor example be located in underground duct 74 after the wiring leavesframe 18. Thus there is a complete electric circuit from the currentsource 75 through transformer 34 and from transformer 34 through socket41 to cold cathode light tube &6 and back through socket 42 totransformer 34 and back to the current source 75. By means of duck seal76 at the place where wiring 74 passes through rear end wall 30, thehole in the rear end wall is sealed off.

Open front face 26 of vertical leg 20 of the frame has vertical guidestrips 77, '78, 79 and 8t ending a short dis tance above the bottom ofthe frame at brackets 81 and 82, all of which are to properly positionthe vertical wall of glass blocks 83 to form the front part of verticalleg 20. Glass blocks 83 are preferably of a type which diffuses light.The wall ends slightly (preferably a little less than an inch) above thebottom of the vertical leg, so that the water of pool 11 extends intothe vertical leg around the lower part of cold cathode light tube 46,but the interior is substantially inaccessible to someone in theswimming pool.

Gasketing 88 on the bottom of top cover 19 cooperates with the top ofthe horizontal leg 21 of the frame, including inwardly-extendinghorizontal strips 84 at suitable places around the perimeter of the legstop, thus com pleting the waterproofing of the rear interior of thehorizontal leg.

It is desirable for the frame and cover to be of some material that isrelatively corrosion resistant, such as aluminum. Neoprene is a goodmaterial for the gasketing.

The cold cathode light tubes described herein are what are oftenpopularly known as neon light, from the fact that a gas is employed intheir interior and the particular gas so employed is often neon. Othergas is also often employed instead, one gas which is especially oftenpresent in the interior of the tubes being argon.

Various colors of lights may be employed, by varying the gas used andalso the fluorescent interior coating used, if any; and these differentcolors may be in different units illuminating the same swimming pool.

It may also be desirable to use a night tube. By this is meant a tubewhich itself gives off considerable ultraviolet light and little, ifany, visible light, but whose ultraviolet light will activate anyfiuorescent materials in the vicnty round about, so that the fluorescentmaterials give off visible light. Thus, as one example, the use of thenight tube may be accompanied by use of fluorescent materials in thebathing suits, caps or the like of the swimmers.

If desired, there may be employed a suitable drainage duct or otherdrainage means leading from the bottom or near the bottom of thecompartment in which the transformer is located to some point away fromthe swimming pool.

The individual devices will be located in suitable locations along theborders of the swimming pool, employing whatever numbers the need forillumination calls for, and they will be operated in the mannercustomary with cold cathode lights.

In marked contrast to the sealed-in incandescent lamps now employed forunderwater lighting, the set-up of the present invention is quite safe;yet it is relatively inexpensive. The swimmer has no access to thelight, but if he did, even if the light tube were to be broken, he wouldbe in no danger from electricity. Yet, the light, without resort to anycomplicated or expensive devices, gives excellent lighting to theunderwater areas for which it is intended, and is quite economical,being capable of lasting extremely long periods. When subject to theconditions under which it is used in lighting of swimming pools, atypical sealed-in incandescent bulb will last only about 750 hours,necessitating frequent time-consuming, troublesome and expensivereplacement. In contrast, in the setup of the present invention a coldcathode tube can be expected normally to last anywhere from 20,000 to30,000 hours, and may, in some cases, last far longer than that.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modificationstomeet individual whim or particular need i will doubtless become evidentto others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits ofmy invention without copying the structure shown, and I therefore, claimall such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope ofmy claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A swimming pool lighting setup comprising a swimming pool walladapted to retain water at a level 'below the top of the wall, a pair ofelectrical sockets mounted there on in a position above the normal waterlevel of the pool, a cold cathode light tube mounted with its terminalends in the respective sockets and its intermediate portion extendingdown substantially below the normal water level of the pool and incont-act with the water thereof, a partition extending from the wallaround said tube at points which are between the area of contact of thetube with the water and the respective terminal ends of the tube, andmeans to supply suitable current for the light tube to the sockets.

2. In a swimming pool light setup, a swimming pool wall adapted toretain water at a level below the top of the wall having an invertedL-shaped recess with the vertical portion of the L extending downadjacent to the swimming pool and the horizontal portion of the Lextending back away from the swimming pool, a transformer mounted in thesaid horizontal portion above the bottom of said portion at a place awayfrom the swimming pool, two electrical sockets mounted in saidhorizontal portion above the bottom of said portion at a place away fromthe swimming pool, lighting means including a cold cathode tube which ismounted with its terminal ends in the sockets and extends down into thevertical portion of the inverted L substantially below the bottom of thehorizontal portion, a partition which extends around the tube at pointsbetween the sockets on the one hand and the place where the tube issubstantially below the bottom of the horizontal portion on the other,said partition continuing up to the top of the recess and dividing therecess into two compartments more or less watertight with relation toeach other, a cover over the one of those compartments which containsthe sockets and transformer, electrical connections between transformerand tube by way of the sockets, and a source of suitable currentelectrically connected to the transformer.

3. A swimming pool lighting setup comprising a swimming pool walladapted to retain water at a level below the top of the wall having arecess in its side and top in the shape of an inverted L, with theinverted part of the recess being along the pool and the horizontal partof the recess extending back away from the pool, supporting structuresupported by the swimming pool in the said horizontal part of the recessin a place away from the pool, a transformer supported by the supportingstructure in a position away from the pool and above the normal waterlevel therein and spaced substantially above the bottom of the recess insaid place in said horizontal part thereof, two sockets positioned atthe same height as the transformer and extending horizontally from thetransformer toward the pool in directions parallel to each other, a coldcathode light tube comprising a U shape having parallel arms and havingits opposite terminal ends each socket/ed in a different one of therespective sockets and having its arms extending first in parallelrelationship in a direction toward the pool, then having its armsextending in parallel relationship in a direction downward in thevertical part of the recess, the tube continuing downward with its armsparallel to each other to a point below the normal water level of thepool and then having a bottom portion across between the bottoms of thetwo downward directed portions of the arms, a first separator unithaving a lower portion extending vertically up from the bottom of thehorizontal portion of the recess to the parallel horizontal portions ofsaid arms of the light tube, an upper portion extending from theparallel horizontal portions of the light tube to the top of the recessand gasketing compressibly positioned between the two portions of theseparator unit and also between each of said portions and the light tubeto complete a water-tight vertical seal across the recess, a secondseparator unit located away from the pool with respect to the first unitand extending vertically up from the bottom of the horizontal portion ofthe recess around the sockets to the top of said horizontal portion ofthe recess including gasketing compressibly positioned next to thesockets to complete a water-tight vertical seal across the recess, acover member on the top of the recess having gasketing compressiblypositioned with the side walls of the recess and the tops of thevertical sealing units to complete a water-tight seal for the horizontalportion of the recess behind said separator units, a vertical wall ofglass blocks between the swimming pool and the vertical portions of thelight tube, said wall of glass blocks being supported by the swimmingpool wall in a position in which the bottom of the wall of glass blocksis spaced above the bottom of said recess, a source of current for thecold cathode light tube, and electrical connections completing a circuitfrom said source through the transformer and cold cathode light tube byway of the sockets, said electrical connections being surrounded by awatertight seal on entrance into the said space in said horizontal partof said recess in which the transformer is located.

4. A setup for under water lighting of a swimming pool comprising aninverted L-shaped hollow frame having a horizontal portion above thenormal water level and a vertical portion extending below the normalwater level, a transformer mounted thereon and located in the horizontalportion of the frame, and a cold cathode light tube mounted on the framewhich tube has two terminal ends which are electrically connected to thetransformer and are located in the horizontal portion of the frame andwhich tube also has an intermediate portion extending down into thevertical portion of the frame below the bottom of the horizontal portionof the frame and more than half the distance between the top of theframe and the bottom of the vertical leg of the L.

5. A swimming pool lighting setup comprising an inverted L-shaped hollowframe having a horizontal portion above the normal water level and avertical portion extending below the normal water level, a pair ofelectrical sockets mounted on the frame and located in the horizontalportion thereof spaced above the bottom of said portion, a cold cathodelight tube having its terminal ends mounted in the sockets and itsintermediate portion extending into the rest of the frame to a positionsubstantially below the bottom of the horizontal portion, and awater-tight partition extending from the bottom of the horizontalportion of the frame up at least to the light tube at a. place which is'between the part of the light tube which is substantially below thebottom of said horizontal portion on the one hand and the ends of thelight tube on the other.

'6. An internal illumination unit for swimming pools comprising a framein the shape of an inverted L having a horizontal portion above thenormal water level and a vertical portion extending below the normalwater level and having a channel-like cross section with the open end ofthe channel at the top in the case of the horizontal leg and at the sideaway from the horizontal leg in the case of the vertical leg, bracketsmounted in the interior of the horizontal leg in a position spaced fromthe vertical leg and spaced above the bottom of the horizontal leg, atransformer mounted on the brackets, electric sockets electricallyconnected to the transformer and positioned in the horizontal leg spacedfrom the bottom of that leg, 2. cold cathode tube emitting radiationhaving a wave length within the range which includes visible andultraviolet light which tube is mounted with its terminal ends in thesockets and the intermediate portion of the tube extending down thegreater part of the way to the bottom of the vertical leg, a partitionof glass block mounted on the frame and positioned to extend verticallyup from near but not at the bottom of the open face of the vertical legto the top of the frame, a top cover extending over and sealing off theentire open top of the frame, and a partition extending vertically upfrom the bottom of the horizontal leg on around the light tube to thetop cover and dividing the frame into a plurality of compartments sealedoff from one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,762,383 Booraem June 10, 1930 1,843,512 Hutchison Feb. 2, 19321,978,023 Lackner Oct. 23, 1934 2,185,708 Meyerricks Jan. 2, 19402,357,057 Owen Aug. 29, 1944 2,543,713 Yeager Feb. 27, 1951 2,565,635Thuernau Aug. 28, 1951 2,595,085 Kuriyama Apr. 29, 1952 2,617,220McCarty et al Nov. 11, 1952 2,839,673 Wilcoxon June 17, 1958 2,846,565Binkley et al. Aug. 5, 1958 2,885,538 Mahon et a1. May 5, 19'59 FOREIGNPATENTS 378,294 Italy Jan. 30, 1940 541,637 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1941

1. A SWIMMING POOL LIGHTING SETUP COMPRISING A SWIMMING POOL WALLADAPTED TO RETAIN WATER AT A LEVEL BELOW THE TOP OF THE WALL, A PAIR OFELECTRICAL SOCKETS MOUNTED THEREON IN A POSITION ABOVE THE NORMAL WATERLEVEL OF THE POOL, A COLD CATHODE LIGHT TUBE MOUNTED WITH ITS TERMINALENDS IN THE RESPECTIVE SOCKETS AND ITS INTERMEDIATE PORTION EXTENDINGDOWN SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE NORMAL WATER LEVEL OF THE POOL AND INCONTACT WITH THE WATER THEREOF, A PARTITION EXTENDING FROM THE WALLAROUND SAID TUBE AT POINTS WHICH ARE BETWEEN THE AREA OF CONTACT OF THETUBE WITH THE WATER AND THE RESPECTIVE TERMINAL ENDS OF THE TUBE, ANDMEANS TO SUPPLY SUITABLE CURRENT FOR THE LIGHT TUBE TO THE SOCKETS.